Root harvester and steering means therefor



Feb. 24, 1948. w. E. NICHOLOY I 2,436,594

ROOT HARVESTER AND STEERING MEANS THEREFOR Filed Nov. 5, 1945 s Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTQR i. ,1 1"; 1. C

BY m1 I ATTORNEY Feb. 24, 1948. w. E. NICHOLOY ROOT HARVESTER AND STEERING MEANS THEREFOR Filed Nov. 5', 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 WQ MN NM QW MW ATTORNEY Km W Wm L [0 o mz f/zmcay Feb, 24, 1948. w. E. NICHOLOY I ROOT HARVESTER AND STEERING MEANS THEREFOR s sheets-sheet. 5

Filed Nov. 5, 1945 d Z- wholoy Patented Feb. 24, 1948 ROOT HARVESTER AND STEERING MEANS THEREFOR Winford E. Nicholoy, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to The Scott Viner Company, Columbus, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application November 5, 1943, Serial No. 509,054

2 Claims. (Cl. 55108) This invention relates to farm machinery and is particularly directed to apparatus for harvesting crops of the type which are planted in rows.

An object of this invention is to provide a harvester which is adapted to be drawn over the fields by a tractor or other automotive vehicle and which is provided with improved means for causing the harvester to more accurately follow the row being harvested and thus prevent the destruction or loss of produce.

Another object of the invention is to provide a harvester having a drawbar adjustably connected thereto and providing a device by which the operator of the harvester may adjust the drawbar in order that the harvester will closely follow a selected row of crops irrespective of whether the tractor changes its relation to that row,

A further object is to provide a farm implement having a frame to which a drawbar is pivotally connected, the frame also having an adjusting device for the drawbar whereby the rela-. tion between the frame and the drawbar may be changed as occasion arises, means being provided to maintain the setting of the adjusting device and the dr-awbar.

A still further object is to provide a harvester, particularly for crops of the edible root type, which is provided with root lifting and conveying mechanism which must be registered with and moved along the rows in the root harvesting operation, means being provided to facilitate the act of registering the lifting and conveying mechanism with the rows during the movement of the harvester over the fields, the latter means including an adjusting device which is employed to transmit movement to the connecting means between the harvester and the tractor whereby the harvester will be guided laterally relative to' the tractor until the lifting mechanism accurately registers with the selected row.

Further objects and advantages of the presentv invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred form of embodiment of the invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a farm implement formed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the imple- 2 Fig. 4 is a view taken on the plane indicated by the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 20 designates the farm implement in its I entirety. This implement has been illustrated as a beet harvesting device. I However, the invention is equally applicable to various other implements which may be drawn by a tractor or other draft vehicle. 7

The machine 20 includes a main frame 2! which is substantially rectangular when viewed in top plan and includes longitudinally extending side members 22 connected at their ends by transversely extending members 23. Adjacent the rear end of the frame 2|, there is provided a pair of ground engaging wheels 24 which are mounted on an axle device 25. At one side, the frame is provided with a power transmitting shaft 26 which may be connected with the power take-off, not shown, of a tractor. The shaft 26 extends rearwardly on the frame to a point adjacent the wheels where it connects with a transmission 21, which conducts motion from the shaft 26 to an elevated transversely extending shaft 28. At points adjacent the vertical center of the machine 2b, the shaft is connected with dual transmissions 30-30 which are employed to transmit the rotation of the shaft 28 to a pair of laterally spaced sprockets 3i-3l. The sprockets 3| receive endless chains 32 which extend longitudinally of the, machine around tensioning members 33 and other idler sprockets, not shown, which are carried by a conveyor frame 34 extending from the front portion of the machine toward the rear in an upwardly inclined direction This conveyor frame 34 is pivoted to the main frame as at 35 in order that it may be raised or lowered through the manipulation of an adjusting handle 36 which is pivotally mounted on a raised portion 31 of the machine frame. A suitable quadrant 38 is mounted on the frame member 31 for use in maintaining the handle 36 in its adjusted position and consequently the vertical position of the frame 34.

The idler sprockets on the frame 34 are so arranged that the chains 32 will include a pair of longitudinally extending runs located in closely abuttin relation, these runs being disposed substantially at the longitudinal center of the other produce from the ground and convey the same rearwardly and upwardly in the machine to a top severing device 40 located adjacent the rear portion of the machine 20. This top severing device includes two sets of longitudinally extending bars Al, the bars of each set being disposed for rotation about a common axis. At one point intheir rotation,zcorresponding-barsof the sets so clcselytapproachone anotheras tosever the tops of the beets or other articles disposed between the same. The direction of rotation of the bars is such that the topsand leaves willbe moved upwardly, rearwardlyandoutwardly tOibB discharged over shields 42 arranged on the frame at the sides of the severing :devi'ce. ,Afterthe severing operation, the beets fall o'nto a conveyor;

not shown, which transfers the beets to a hopper or other collector,

The forward ends of the lifting and conveying mechanism, frame sections 34, are providedwith forwardly and downwardly directed leaf lifting devices 43, these devices projecting,beyond the lift chains a considerable distanoe...and Servi to elevateandbunch the-,=1 eav,es of the. beets in order that they maybe -grasped by the chains 32. In the operation ofthe harvesting machine, the leaf lifting devices'43 ,must be symmetrically located with respect to the-row being. harvested so that the leaves and tops may be firmly grasped by the chains 32 and the beets lifted vertically out .oftheground. This lifting operation is facilitated by loosening the earth around thebeets witha small:plowshare44, which is carried beneath the lifting mechanism ona lever system-45 also pivotedto thetframe, 2| as at 46. This lever system is alsovertically adjustable, through the manipulationcf a handle 41 connected; to the leversystem by alink 48, for the purposeofivarying, the depth. of the plow "M in the earth. ,As the harvesting machine moves over thefield, the plow .44 will break up-and loosen the earth-around the .beets orother roots being harvested and-thereby make the lifting operation more easily accomplished.

During the operation-of themachine, an operator occupies a seat-5|, located on the left side of the machinewithin reach of the levers or handles 36 and 41. As the-operator sits in the seat 5|, he can observe the positions of theleaf lifting devices and the chainsi32 with respect tothe roW and in the event there. is a. misalignmentof the chains-32-with the row, h e.can, through the manipulation of theapparatusabout to be described, correct thismisalignment.

As shown ,in'the drawings, the frame. 2! is provided at its forward-end-With adrawbar52. This member is pivotally connected, for horizontal movement; at its rear end, as at 53, to the frame 2|. The forwardendof the drawbar (see. Fig. 3) includes an-arm, 54 .whichr is. pivoted to, a clevis 55 carried by-a, rod, 56: disposed, forv sliding movement, in ,an openina'ilfo m d. near th forwa end of thedrawbar. The rearzend of the rod 56 is connectedrto .a .plate...58 disposed for sliding movement between'upper'and lower str ps Y59 and G0 which fOfmPart .ofzthe drawbar. The front end of these strips,59and: lill-arejoined by an end piece 62. Acoil-spring,B3 is interposed between;the end piece 52 and the plate 58 to yieldably resist forward movement. of the plate 58 and absorb shocks incident to starting the pulling in the w 7 operation -ofthemachine. .When the .ma chine is to be connected to the tractor, the lever Skis swung about its pivot and inserted in a link carried by the tractor. It is.v then swung to the position sh wn in Fig-13 and ake per. device,

slidably mounted on the top strip of the drawbar, is moved forward to a position wherein the rear end of the arm 54 is restrained against swinging movement. A spring pressed pin retains the keeper in its positions of adjustment. After being so connected, movement of the tractoraover the;ground-.will zbei imparted to the harvesting machine.

In some instances, especially where crops are being produced in sloping fields, it is diificult to keep the tractor in a definite relation to a selected The particular drawbar arrangement,

shown herein, has been designed to facilitate sufficient limited guidingmovement of the harvester to maintain the relation of the leaf lifting devices and the lifting chains with the selected row. To perform this .operation, the drawbar is pivotally connected with the harvesting machine framefll as previously described and means are provided on the harvester to adjust the relative position .of the drawbar andthe harvester. This means includes .an adjusting ,leverfili which is mounted for pivotal movement .as at ,BLon a bracketfiB secured to the. forward portion- .of the frame 2| near the, left side. ,The. bracket is inclined to locate the upper operatingend ll adjacent the seat 5l. At the lower end'l2, the lever 66, is provided with a pluralityofholeslii for the receptionof a bolt I4. employed to pivotally connect one end of a link"'i5 tothe, lever 66. The opposite end of this, link is pivotally connected as at 'l'oto an angle bracket 17 whichis secured through any suitable meanstojtheside of the drawbar in front of the. frame 2|. 'Thus, by rasping the rear end of the IeVer'BBandsWinE- ing the same about its pivotB'L, movement may be transmitted to the drawbar and since it is pivoted at 53, theangular relationof thedrawbar to the machine frame'2l varied. Thus, the relative tracking relation of the tractor and harvester can be varied. lithe chains 32 are disposed toward one side of the row being harvested, the operatormay align the chains with the row by grasping the lever 66 and swinging it in the proper direction. To maintain this adjustment, the bracket GShasbeen provided with a notched quadrant 18 for engagement by a spring pressed vpin 19 mounted on the lever 66. This spring pressed pin 19. is actuated by a control 8i disposed .atthe upper end of the handle 6% and connected by a wire 82 with one end of the pin 19. By moving the control! rearwardly, the pin may be disen a ed from the quadrant to permit the leverliB to be moved and after the desired adjustment has been made, the control may be released whereupon thepin 19 will be returned to a locking pgsitiOn by its, spring. The ratio of movement between the lever 65 and the drawbar may be varied bymoving the connection 14 to the other, holes, in the. lever 65. Thus, where greater movement is required, theconnection .14 may b movedfarther awayfrom th pivotli'i.

While the form of embodiment of the p e invention as herein disclosedconstitutes a Preferred form, it is to be understood thatother forms might be adopted, all ,comingwithin the scope of the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. A root harvester comprising in combination a two wheeled vehicle including a -main frame;

. two laterally disposed wheels, carrying the frame ground at the forward end of the main frame; a manually adjustable conveyor frame pivotally connected to the main frame; a rearwardly and upwardly extending root lifting and conveyor means mounted on said conveyor frame and having the forward end thereof disposed near the ground at the forward end of the main frame; a draw bar adjacent to the root conveyor means and pivotally attached to the forward end of the main frame, the free end of the draw bar extending forwardly and having means for connecting the same to a draft means and said draft means and said two wheels constituting the entire support of the main frame; and a manually adjustable lever pivotally connected to the forward end of the main frame for adjustin the relative position of the forward end of the draw bar and the main frame around a vertical pivotal axis so that the adjusting lever moves the forward end of the draw bar laterally relative to the frame.

2. A root harvester comprising in combination a two wheeled vehicle including a main frame; two laterally disposed wheels supporting the rear end of the main frame; a drivers seat; a plow share pivotally connected to the main frame and disposed to project into the ground adjacent to the forward end of the main frame; a manually adjustable and rearwardly extending root lifting conveyor means pivotally connected to the main frame and having the forward end thereof disposed near the ground adjacent to the forward end of the main frame; a draw bar pivotally attached to the forward end of the main frame, the free end of the draw bar extending forwardly and having means for connectingthe same to a draft means; means for manually adjusting the plow share vertically and for locking it in the adjusted position; and means comprising a lever positioned adjacent to the drivers seat for manually adjusting the relative position of the forward end of the draw bar and the main frame around a vertical pivotal axis so that the adjusting means moves the position of the forward end of the draw bar laterally relative to the main frame to provide for maintaining said root lifting conveyor means in an aligned position with the rows of roots being harvested.

WINFORD E. NICHOLOY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

